Adaptation: It may not necessarily be a longsword which the eldritch weapon may be, it could easily be changed to any martial weapon of the same degree, such as the battle-axe, rapier or scimitar. In such cases, the prerequisite 'sword hilt' would change to the axe of a pole of the unique hilts of other weapons.
Another adaptation that could be used is the simple addition of the Desert Wind discipline to the repertoire of the class, or, replacing the Shadow Hand school with it. This can be something of a reflection of a warlock's fiendish nature and the fire of the lower planes.

Maneuvers: At levels 2nd, 4th, 6th, 8th and 10th, an eldritch blademaster gains new maneuvers known from the Iron Heart, Shadow Hand or Tiger Claw disciplines. You must meet a maneuver's prerequisite to learn it. You add your full eldritch blademaster levels to your initiator level to determine your total initiator level and your highest-level maneuvers known.
At levels 3rd, 6th and 9th, you gain additional maneuvers readied per day.

Stances Known: At 1st and 6th level, you learn a new martial stance from the Iron Heart, Shadow Hand or Tiger Claw disciplines. You must meet the stances prerequisites to learn it.

Invoking: At each level except 1st and 6th, you gain new invocations known and an increase in caster level as if you had also gained a level in an invocation-using class to which you belonged before adding the prestige class level. You do not, however, gain any other benefits a character of that class would have gained, including eldritch blast(see below). If you had more than one invocation-using class before becoming an eldritch blademaster, you must decide to which class to add each level for the purpose of determining caster level and invocations known.

Eldritch Sword(Su): At 1st level you gain the main feature of this class, the eldritch sword. This ability is used through the catalyst of a magically charged sword hilt which was meant to be made before the class is taken. When activated as a standard action, a beam of arcane energy takes the form of a blade shooting out from the hilt, seemingly composed of the same energy as your eldritch blast, and is in fact the very same energy shaped into the form of a longsword's blade.
This weapon counts as a longsword in all respects, except for damage, which deals damage equal to your eldritch blast plus your strength modifier(meaning a critical range of 19-20/x2). Attacks made with the eldritch sword are melee touch attacks and do untyped damage.
This eldritch sword can be enhanced as a normal weapon, but the cost of enhancement is equal to the cost of enhancing a cold iron weapon, but if enhanced yourself it costs only half the XP cost of a normal weapon enhancement.
Eldritch essence invocations can be used through your eldritch sword, but blast shape invocations cannot. Essence invocations remain imbued into the blade for the rest of the round and are activated as part of an attack action or full attack action.
Your eldritch blast cannot be used when using your eldritch sword, your eldritch sword is only usable when being held in your hand or hands, and is only usable by the eldritch blademaster that created it.

Deceive Item (Ex): Just as the warlock class feature in Complete Arcane(pg. 8).

Fiendish Resilience (Su): Just as the warlock class feature in Complete Arcane(pg. 8).

Craft Magical Arms and Armor: At 4th level, you gain Craft Magical Arms and Armor as a bonus feat.

Martial Invoker Stance(Ex): At 5th level you learn how to strengthen your martial prowess at the cost of your arcane power. You take a swift action to lose the benefits of any stance you're in to gain the benefits granted by this stance. When in this stance, you lose access to all the invocations you are capable of using(with the exception of your eldritch blast and eldritch essence invocations), but your initiator level increases by half your warlock level for all intents and purposes, except for which maneuver and stance levels you can learn at each new level. Additionally, while in this stance you are capable of regaining all expended maneuvers as a swift action.

Imbue Magic Weapon(Su): At 8th level, you are capable of doing with magic arms what normal warlocks are capable of doing with most anything else. You gain a lesser form of the Imbue Item class feature(Complete Arcane, pg. 8) except it only works when enhancing magic weapons.

Arcane Reaver(Ex): At 9th level you're capable of channeling a bit more of your power through your eldritch sword. You may choose, round per round, whether or not to use your Str or Cha modifier to damage with your eldritch sword, whichever is greater. Additionally, when using your standard eldritch blast you may add your Cha modifier to damage.

Eldritch Horror Stance(Su): At 10th level the darkness of your soul wells up and empowers you with the profane and entropic energies that power the darkest side of the multiverse. You take a swift action to lose the benefits of any stance you're in to gain the benefits granted by this stance. When in this stance, your fiendish resilience and energy resistances given by this class and the warlock class both increase by 5, you gain a +6 profane bonus to both your Str and your Cha, and you gain DR 10/cold iron(which does not stack with the warlock class feature). Additionally, you can fuse your eldritch powers and martial capabilities into one attack. Once per round, you can channel a martial strike, boost or both into your eldritch blast despite it being ranged. If this strike deals multiple attacks or attacks multiple foes(such as avalanche of blades or mithril tornado) it cannot be used through the blast.
The drawback of this stance is that you take 1 damage per round while remaining in it. This damage cannot be overcome with damage reduction or similar.

Stycotl

2008-01-24, 11:11 PM

looks very intriguing. i like the invoker/initiator combination. i had been wondering about such a combo a few weeks ago, but never got around to dreaming anything up.

first thing first though: where are the eldritch glaive and vicious blow invocations? i am guessing they are not in complete arcane since i cannot find them there. would you, or someone else, mind posting them up here on the board, or posting a link? until then, i am kind of inadequate to judge the whole soulblade-eldritchblast part of the prc.

i see this guy as a desert wind-wielding fiend. but if you specifically wanted to keep it at 3 disciplines, i'd stay with what you've got.

then again... i just had a thought. devoted spirit might fit too. maybe offer them all as options, but make them choose three out of the group or something. beats me.

the first stance strikes me as a little odd. maybe not detailed enough, like it lacks some fluffy reasoning as to why it work that way. i am not sure what it is that i am missing.

second stance, the capstone, seems too weak for a capstone in my opinion, especially if it is going to sacrifice hit points. i would suggest dropping the hit point loss, or keeping it (my pref) and giving it something that is not *maybe* worth the loss, but *definitely* worth the loss.

Also, do you have any suggestions for what 'definitely worth the damage' ability might be? I had a somewhat tough time just coming up with what the ability already has, and I don't really want to go the same route as I do with a good deal of classes of late and just make his type outsider or what have you.

Nebo_

2008-01-24, 11:23 PM

Invoking: At each level, you gain new invocations known and an increase in caster level as if you had also gained a level in an invocation-using class to which you belonged before adding the prestige class level. You do not, however, gain any other benefits a character of that class would have gained, including eldritch blast(see below). If you had more than one invocation-using class before becoming an eldritch blademaster, you must decide to which class to add each level for the purpose of determining caster level and invocations known.

The text doesn't match the table.

Krimm_Blackleaf

2008-01-24, 11:27 PM

The text doesn't match the table.

Woops, I'll fix that.

Stycotl

2008-01-24, 11:58 PM

did you mean hideous blow then?

now, i agree with you about the outsider deal. i think an awesome stance is the way to go. but what to do with it...

maybe if you even just increase the stat bonuses to +8 or something. it is a capstone ability, and while it might seem cheap because the barb has to work his way up through smaller versions of it first, this guy's can only be used while in the stance, and while taking d every round. nice trade-off, though even then it seems like it could use something else.

but this is just me. let us wait to see what others have to say too. i know that nebo is lurking around here soemwhere, just dying to find something wrong with it...

totally a joke, man, just in case you (nebo) found that insulting or something.

aaron out.

Stycotl

2008-01-25, 12:01 AM

hold the phone. i just read the whole "Once per round, you can channel a martial strike, boost or both into your eldritch blast despite it being ranged. If this strike deals multiple attacks or attacks multiple foes(such as avalanche of blades or mithril tornado) it cannot be used through the blast." thing. was that there the whole time or did you put that up later?

i might be going blind...

now that does make a cool stance. i still think the str/cha could be bumped up though. am comparing it power-wise to jade pheonix in my head...

Krimm_Blackleaf

2008-01-25, 12:28 AM

hold the phone. i just read the whole "Once per round, you can channel a martial strike, boost or both into your eldritch blast despite it being ranged. If this strike deals multiple attacks or attacks multiple foes(such as avalanche of blades or mithril tornado) it cannot be used through the blast." thing. was that there the whole time or did you put that up later?

i might be going blind...

now that does make a cool stance. i still think the str/cha could be bumped up though. am comparing it power-wise to jade pheonix in my head...

I put it in after you suggested a boost, with a little help from The Demented One. Boost them up to +6 seem good?

Stycotl

2008-01-25, 12:31 AM

sounds awesome. good job. and that add-on was spot-on. very fitting.

Krimm_Blackleaf

2008-01-25, 02:01 AM

I added another small thing to the adaptation, giving them potential access to the Desert Wind discipline.

Krimm_Blackleaf

2008-01-25, 04:30 AM

Oh, uh, heh... It's hideous blow, not vicious blow.

...

...

Carry on.

SilentNight

2008-01-25, 09:50 AM

Very, very nice. Powerful but not evidently owerpowered. I have no doubt it has extreme cheese potential but I like it.

ErrantX

2008-01-25, 03:47 PM

I like the class, I've actually been trying to find a way to put together a melee warlock class and I'm coming up a little short so this definitely peaks my interest. The only things I'm a little worried about (balance wise) is having a 5d6 longsword, but that's beside the point I guess.

-X

The Demented One

2008-01-25, 08:18 PM

The only things I'm a little worried about (balance wise) is having a 5d6 longsword, but that's beside the point I guess.

That's no worse than what a high level warlock could do with hideous blow, not to mention eldritch glaive.

Stycotl

2008-01-25, 11:56 PM

does eldritch glaive allow every melee attack to do eb damage? that would be nuts! i might have to go buy the book...

or at least go sit in the bookstore and copy it down.

SilentNight

2008-01-25, 11:58 PM

or at least go sit in the bookstore and copy it down.

heh, been there, love that.:smallbiggrin:

Krimm_Blackleaf

2008-01-26, 12:31 AM

does eldritch glaive allow every melee attack to do eb damage? that would be nuts! i might have to go buy the book...

or at least go sit in the bookstore and copy it down.

It pretty much gives you a glaive that does eb damage, is a touch attack, has reach, lets you use it for attacks of opportunity and full attacks. The only drawbacks it has in comparison to my eldritch blade is the crit range and the ability to enhance it.

The_Snark

2008-01-26, 01:29 AM

It pretty much gives you a glaive that does eb damage, is a touch attack, has reach, lets you use it for attacks of opportunity and full attacks. The only drawbacks it has in comparison to my eldritch blade is the crit range and the ability to enhance it.

The other downsides are that you've still got to cast defensively if you're within enemy reach, (not too much of a problem at higher levels) and that you have to use a full-round action to invoke and attack with the glaive. That means no attacks of opportunity if you wanted to move last turn, or do anything else.

Also... do I detect a Star Wars reference?

Oh yes, criticism.

It looks good to me for the most part, but I would tone down the extra maneuvers readied. Most of the pure initiator prestige classes from Tome of Battle get more maneuvers readied every 3rd level, and it doesn't seem fair for a class that also progresses warlock invocations to get more maneuvers than they do.

I'd reccomend extra maneuvers readied either at levels 3, 6, and 9, or at levels 5 and 9, like the Ruby Knight Vindicator.

Krimm_Blackleaf

2008-01-26, 02:07 AM

Lowered the maneuvers readied progression to 3, 6, 9.

Veldan Rath

2008-08-29, 05:04 PM

As Eldritch Glave is a full round action to acitivate and it only lasts the round, does Eldritch Sword, which is a standard action to activate, have to be 'activated' every round as well?

If correct, this would mean that the Eldritch Blademaster only gets one attack a round?

Or can this be interpeted to be like EG: If your BAB is +6 or more you can as part of a FRA make as many attacks with your EG (ES in this case) as your BAB allows?

Krimm_Blackleaf

2008-08-29, 11:12 PM

As Eldritch Glave is a full round action to acitivate and it only lasts the round, does Eldritch Sword, which is a standard action to activate, have to be 'activated' every round as well?

If correct, this would mean that the Eldritch Blademaster only gets one attack a round?

Or can this be interpeted to be like EG: If your BAB is +6 or more you can as part of a FRA make as many attacks with your EG (ES in this case) as your BAB allows?

I was told that activating eldritch glaive also meant using it in a full attack, meaning if you have improved BAB you can make multiple attacks. The eldritch sword also follows that principle.

Claybourne

2008-08-30, 12:50 AM

This looks like a great concept. I'm loving the idea behind it and I absolutely love the flavor.

I'm curious though about your intentions behind the mechanics in creating the eldritch blade.

If it is a standard action to create the eldritch blade and you have to do this every round, how do you see the Eldritch Blademaster using his martial adept strikes (many/most of which are standard actions to initiate) from levels 1-9 of the PrC?

Does he have a spare weapon that he keeps on his person for times when he wants to initiate a maneuver?

If thats the case it strikes me as a little clunky (though I realize people make entire builds around the Eldritch Glaive blast essence and play glaive/meleelocks with even worse restrictions). I can't quite get my mind around the idea that a melee orientated character is effectively disarming himself when he wants to initiate a maneuver, let alone having to then draw out a second weapon in order to execute one of his many maneuvers, especially considering that this is half of who and what he is (martial adept).

I would humbly suggest another approach.

The Eldritch Blade crafts an actual weapon (not just a hilt). As a standard action, he can wrap his eldritch blast around the blade of the weapon which then assumes the same kind of eldritch blast mechanics you have already described (touch attack, weapon does eldritch blast damage + enchantment bonus + special weapon enchantment effects).

It also makes sense that you might even include a progression where the Eldritch Blademaster learns to invoke his Eldritch Blade faster as he gains in competence.

Perhaps you start the PrC with the ability to create his Eldritch Blade with the same mechanics of the Eldritch Glaive blast essence, a full round.

Improve the invoking time to a standard action at 3rd level. -Improve the invoking time to a Swift action at 5th. -Improve the invoking time to an Immediate Action at 7th

And finally, maybe cap the ability off as a Free action at 10th or perhaps make the weapon permanent while the Eldritch Blademaster is in his Eldritch Horror stance.

If you want to make the Eldritch Blademaster pay for this added ability, it would be thematic to place the restriction on the Eldritch Blademaster than he can no longer use his Eldritch Blast at range. He has so specialized this ability that it is only useable as part of his actual weapon (melee only).

Anyway, my suggestions are just that, suggestions! Kudos on a very fun looking PrC.

Krimm_Blackleaf

2008-08-30, 01:21 AM

Um, the intention was you invoke it as a standard action once... then you have the weapon ready at all times, unless of course you're asleep or whatever.

Claybourne

2008-08-30, 02:17 AM

Aha! Well, that clears up the confusion Veldan and I were having. :smile: Its going to be up to him whether or not he approves the PrC for me to take you see.

Now that raises the question we both are going to ask.

How does the damage the Eldritch Blademaster appears to be capable of dealing out in one round compare to other similiar PrCs (Eldritch Theurge, Jade Phoenix Mage etc)?

If this is on par with other Eldritch hybrids or Initiator hybrids then there won't be a problem. Initially this looks like a lot of damage to me, but I honestly don't have any experience playing a martial adept class, let alone knowing what is the norm and what isnt.

So thanks for your input and I'm hoping I get the chance to give the Eldritch Blademaster a test run.
Claybourne

Krimm_Blackleaf

2008-08-30, 05:52 AM

Aha! Well, that clears up the confusion Veldan and I were having. :smile: Its going to be up to him whether or not he approves the PrC for me to take you see.

Now that raises the question we both are going to ask.

How does the damage the Eldritch Blademaster appears to be capable of dealing out in one round compare to other similiar PrCs (Eldritch Theurge, Jade Phoenix Mage etc)?

If this is on par with other Eldritch hybrids or Initiator hybrids then there won't be a problem. Initially this looks like a lot of damage to me, but I honestly don't have any experience playing a martial adept class, let alone knowing what is the norm and what isnt.

So thanks for your input and I'm hoping I get the chance to give the Eldritch Blademaster a test run.
Claybourne

It's designed for great damage output, the eldritch blast damage is however going to be lower attack per attack due to the DCPS(duel caster progression symdrome), it may not be too much lower than a full warlock and a full attack will drive the damage up to insane levels, but I try to balance it a little by making it crazy expensive to enhance it(counts as cold iron).
Also, at the level they're only dealing 5d6 points of damage from their eldritch blast, I don't think they'll be able to enhance their weapon THAT far. It's also not Str+Cha, it's Str or Cha, and that's only when they're way high up in level.

Claybourne

2008-09-02, 03:33 PM

Great! Thanks for your input and for the time you put into this. I'll be trying this out in our Cauldron run.

Krimm_Blackleaf

2008-09-02, 07:36 PM

Great! Thanks for your input and for the time you put into this. I'll be trying this out in our Cauldron run.